


Comfort VIII

by AnnaOnTheMoon



Series: Comfort [9]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-20 00:16:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12421122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaOnTheMoon/pseuds/AnnaOnTheMoon
Summary: Another installment in the Comfort series.  This one takes place before, during, and after Sub Rosa.





	Comfort VIII

**Author's Note:**

> Bold text comes straight off a copy of the script, which you can find on Google.

Jean-Luc held a bottle of the finest wine his brother produced as he walked towards Beverly’s quarters.  When the message came through that Felisa Howard was ill, he immediately altered their course to take them to Caldos to try to get Beverly back in time.  Unfortunately, a second message had arrived.  Felisa had died.  Jean-Luc sighed.  He had liked the woman the few times he had met her.  He knew Beverly hadn’t had time in recent years to return to visit, but he also knew that Beverly and her Nana exchanged messages frequently. He quietly let himself into Beverly’s quarters and found her curled up in one of her Nana’s many afghans in a corner of an easy chair.  Jean-Luc sat the bottle down and approached Beverly.

He knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. “Beverly.”

Beverly looked up. Her eyes were rimmed red from the tears she had shed and her hair was dishevelled.  “Jean-Luc, I....”

Jean-Luc stood up, carefully picked up Beverly and settled down in the chair with Beverly now in his lap. He stroked her hair “Shh, I know, Beverly. I know.  I’m here for you.  Just let it all out.”

“I’ve barely seen Nana in over twenty years...not since I left to go to the Academy....then I met Walker, you, and Jack....Jack never wanted to go to Caldos.  And after Jack died I couldn’t....I know you offered to take us but I always made excuses.  Wesley’s school, my work, your work...Jean-Luc, why didn’t I ever go?  Why didn’t I go and see Nana while she was still alive?”

Jean-Luc spoke softly “Perhaps for the same reasons I never returned to France to see my mother before she passed away.”

Beverly looked up. “Why didn’t you go to see your mother?”

“Fear.  I was afraid Maman wouldn’t have approved of my life...you didn’t know me back then but I was a bit of a cad in my Academy days...”

“A bit?  I heard Walker’s stories.”

“Mm, indeed.  And I didn’t want Maman to know.”  Beverly smiled. 

“No, I suppose not.  Jean-Luc of the Picard Vineyard couldn’t be seen bedding a different girl every night...sometimes not even in a bed!”  She wiggled her eyebrows. 

“Exactly what did Walker tell you?”

“Oh, just that he caught you more than once having sex with a woman up against the side of a building!”  Mirth built up in her and she laughed.  “Oh, Jean-Luc, why didn’t you ever take me against the side of a building?”

“You don’t think I wanted to?  How could I when you were with Jack?  And after he...well.... I no longer wanted a quick meaningless release.  I needed....I wanted....to slowly make love to you.”  Beverly kissed him. 

“Thank you.” 

“How did we get on this subject?” 

“You were telling me about being afraid of your mother seeing you after your exploits.” 

“Right.  So I avoided returning home.  Father didn’t want to see me, and I knew Robert didn’t care....I loved Maman, but I was so ashamed of my lifestyle by that point...and it took being stabbed before I changed my life, and by that point, it was too late to see Maman.”  Beverly nodded and rested her head on his chest.

“I think I didn’t want to see Nana for some of the same reasons.”  Jean-Luc raised his eyebrows. 

“You?  Promiscuous? I don’t believe it.”  Beverly laughed.

“Oh, Jean-Luc. By the time I met you and Walker I had calmed down considerably...but, you’ve never lived on a colony world.  Trust me, when the only people there to date are the same boys you have known since you were a child and then you suddenly wind up on a world with millions of people....you get a little reckless.” 

“I wish I had seen that Beverly.”  Jean-Luc tenderly touched her cheek. It was an intimate move, but the line they walked between friends and lovers had been blurred for a long time. Beverly leaned into his touch. 

“Hmm. That Beverly might have shagged you up against the side of a building.” Both sat in silence contemplating their might have beens.  Beverly stood up and the blanket fell onto the floor. “Did you bring wine?”  Jean-Luc nodded.

“One of Robert’s finest.” Beverly leaned down and gave Jean-Luc a friendly kiss.

“I’ll get some glasses.”

The two friends sat together on Beverly’s sofa and raised a toast to Felisa Howard. “I called Wes.  He can’t get away from his studies to get to Caldos, but...he didn’t really know Nana that well, so I can’t really blame him.”

“No, I suppose not.  But you will have me. I’ll stay by your side the entire time.”  Beverly reached out and gave Jean-Luc’s hand a squeeze. 

“Thank you.  Will you...stay here with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”  Jean-Luc lightly brushed his lips against Beverly’s cheek. “Of course, my love.”

###

Beverly collected some of her Nana’s journals and books and had already started leafing through them when she, Jean-Luc, and Deanna beamed back to the _Enterprise._   Jean-Luc took a stack of books for her and walked her back to her quarters.

**“You wouldn’t believe what I’ve been reading about in my grandmother’s journals...you know she had a lover?  Can you believe it?  Nana was a hundred years old.”**

**“It would seem the Howard women have exceptionally....vigorous libidos.”**

**“I certainly hope so. I’d like to think that I could find  a young, handsome man in his thirties when I pass the century mark.”**

Jean-Luc’s mouth went dry.  **“thirties?”**

Beverly shifted her load and rested her free hand on Jean-Luc’s shoulder.  “On the other hand, there is something to be said for older men...”

“Indeed.  But tell me about this lover of your grandmother’s?”

**“His name is Ronin....he’s thirty-four years old. She met him just after my great-grandmother died.  I think I saw him at the funeral. The strange thing is, Nana never mentioned him to me in her letters.”**

“Did you talk about your....lovers when you wrote to her?”

“Just Jack....and you.”  Her hand slid down his arm and she gave his arm a squeeze.

“Me?”  He turned his head to give her a quick, chaste kiss. 

“Yes, you.”

“I hope only nice things.”

“Always, Jean-Luc.  Always.” The door to her quarters slid open.  “Thank you for carrying my books.  I’ll see you tonight?”

“Of course.  Dinner?  My quarters?  2000?”  Beverly gave Jean-Luc a tender kiss in reply.

“I’ll be there.”

###

2000 came and went with no sign of Beverly.  Jean-Luc was concerned, for it wasn’t like her to ignore a dinner date and if she had needed to cancel, she would have called him. He tried paging her comm, but received no reply. He asked the computer where she was, and was told she was in her quarters.  _Maybe she fell asleep. It_ has _been a rough day for her._ Jean-Luc grabbed the bottle of wine he had intended for them to drink during dinner and headed for her quarters just to check on her. If she was sleeping, he would just slip in bed next to her and hold her. 

Beverly had been so absorbed in reading her grandmother’s journal not only did she not realise what time it was, but she didn’t hear Jean-Luc pressing the door chime before letting himself in.  Beverly’s face was flushed and her skin tingled with arousal. Her grandmother certainty knew how to write an erotic tale.  Beverly had been picturing her and Jean-Luc in some of the positions mentioned in the journal. It was hard for her to imagine that this wasn’t just a story, that this had been her grandmother’s actual life. 

Jean-Luc approached her and gently removed the book from her hands.  “Interesting reading?”  Jean-Luc looked down and read a quick passage, a blush rising to his face.  “She was very....descriptive.....”

“Mmm, that she was.”  Beverly stood up and wrapped her arms around Jean-Luc.  He was wearing the green shirt she liked so much that brought out the green in his hazel eyes. She kissed him.  “You look nice.”

Jean-Luc wound his arms around Beverly’s waist to pull her flush against his body.  “You, ah, missed our dinner date.”

“I’m sorry Jean-Luc. Nana’s journal has been rather...stimulating.” She punctuated her words with a thrust against Jean-Luc’s hips.  He groaned.  “I have been thinking about you the whole time.”  She untucked his shirt and pulled it over his head.

“Have you now?” He trailed kisses down her jaw onto her neck and sucked lightly on her collar bone. 

“Oh, yes, Jean-Luc. “  Beverly led Jean-Luc  into the bedroom.  “I want you to make love to me.”

###

Later that night, while Beverly was fast asleep she felt hands roaming over her body.  She moaned “Jean-Luc” in her sleep as she felt the hands slip under the covers and between her legs. “Mmm, ready for round two?”  Beverly reached back for Jean-Luc and was surprised to find the man sound asleep flat on his back. 

“Computer: Lights. Jean-Luc, wake up!”

Jean-Luc sat straight up in bed. He had trained himself as a Cadet to be able to wake easily in case of an emergency. “Beverly, what’s wrong?”

“Jean-Luc, I think someone was in bed with us.” 

“That’s impossible.”

“Someone’s hands were on me....and touched me.....I thought it was you, but you were asleep.”  Her voice rose in panic. Jean-Luc’s face quickly displayed anger.  _Who would dare touch Beverly while they were sleeping?_

“Computer:  Who has accessed this room?”

“The access logs are as follows: Doctor Beverly Crusher, 1500 hours.  Captain Jean-Luc Picard, 2100 hours.”

“Computer: Time?”

“0300.” Jean-Luc turned to Beverly. 

“Are you sure it wasn’t a dream?  You said Felisa’s journal had been erotic...could you have been dreaming of what you had been reading?”  Beverly shook her head. 

“No.  I felt hands. Come to think of it, I felt a ring on one of the fingers, so it couldn’t have been you. You don’t wear any rings.” _Yet_ , came her silent thought.  Sometimes, she really did wish they would just get over it and get married. 

Jean-Luc let out a sigh and rubbed Beverly’s back.  “Let’s put some clothes on, and we’ll have security do a sweep.  We can sleep in my quarters.”  Jean-Luc kissed her forehead before going out into the living room and retrieving his comm badge.

“Captain Picard to Lieutenant Worf.”

“Worf here.”

“Mr Worf, I need you to come to Beverly’s quarters and do a sweep for me. She said someone was touching her in bed.”

“Sir, I’ll get a team right on it.”

“Mr Worf?  Could you come alone and then call for your team?  Beverly and I are...indecent and I’d rather not have your security team see us like  this.”

“I see.  Of course, Sir.”

Jean-Luc pulled on his trousers, forgoing his underwear and padded barefoot over to his shirt. He handed his shirt to Beverly to put on as the door chime went off.  He glanced over at Beverly and she nodded.

“Come.”

Worf barged in.  He took in the state of dress of his superior officers in stride and instead just asked what had happened.  Beverly curled up on one of the chairs and re-told her tale, Worf frowning the whole time.

“No one else has been in your quarters?”

“According to the computer, Jean-Luc was the only person to enter after I did this afternoon.”

“I....see.  Doctor, I will have my team investigate.  Do you need me to arrange guest quarters for you?”

“That won’t be necessary, Mr Worf. Beverly is going to stay with me.”

“Right.”

Jean-Luc pressed his comm badge. “Transporter Room Two.  Two to beam directly to the Captain’s quarters.”

“Aye, Sir.”  They were gone in a swirl of blue.

###

Beverly was down at her grandmother’s cabin, sorting through her belongings. Most of the items Beverly was going to just get rid of.  She wanted to keep the journals, and she thought she would take a few of the handmade quilts along, and then of course, there was that stupid candle holder.

Beverly remembered it from when she was a girl visiting her great-grandmother and she was told that it was a Howard family heirloom that had been in the family since the 1700s.  Beverly honestly wasn’t bothered with it, but as it was a family heirloom, she figured she better keep it.

 A storm was raging outside the cabin. Beverly was puzzled as she thought there was only a minor malfunction, but she knew Data and Geordi were taking care of it and she wasn’t worried.  Jean-Luc was going to join her later as she wasn’t quite feeling ready to sleep alone. Not after the strange occurrence the previous night.  There was a loud crash of thunder and a bright flash of lightning as the front door slammed shut.  Beverly jumped.  The lights in the cabin started to flicker and Beverly felt as though she wasn’t alone.  She rested her hand on top of her badge.

**“Alright....that’s it. Whoever you are, show yourself right now or I’m going to call the _Enterprise_ and have ten security guards down here in the next thirty seconds.”**

**A man’s voice spoke. “Beverly....I’ve come back for you....”**

**“Who are you?”**

**“Don’t you Remember?  I came to you last night....while you were asleep....”**

**“** No, no one was there. **I’m calling the _Enterprise_.”**

Beverly smacks her badge.  “Crusher to _Enterprise_!”

Jean-Luc’s voice came back over. “Beverly? Are you alright?”

“No!  Jean-Luc. Get down her immediately! Bring Worf!” 

“On our way.  Picard out!”  Jean-Luc called as he motioned to Worf to join him in the turbolift.  Once it stopped at the transporter corridor, they both ran to Transporter Room Two and immediately beamed down straight into the living room of the small cabin. Both had their phasers out and they scanned the room.

Beverly looked to be in a daze.  Her jacket was on the floor and she was biting her lip the way she would when she was trying not to moan during sex with Jean-Luc.  Jean-Luc froze and watched Beverly.  He held a hand up to Worf  to stop him from doing anything. 

 **Beverly’s eyes closed and her head rolled back, oblivious**  to Worf and Jean-Luc in the room with her.  **She reacted to an invisible touch, but she managed to sit up and fight.**

**“What’s happening?”**

Beverly appeared to be listening to someone, because she replied back with **“I don’t understand.”** Beverly’s eyes met Jean-Luc’s and it managed to snap her out of it long enough to break the connection.  She slumped into Jean-Luc’s arms and he quickly tapped his badge.

“Two to beam directly to my quarters! Worf, stay here and see what you can find out!”

Jean-Luc and Beverly materialised into Jean-Luc’s dark, cold, quarters. 

“Computer: Lights.  Raise temperature 10 degrees Celsius.”

“Unable to comply.”

“What the devil? “

Jean-Luc carried the limp body of Beverly into his bedroom. He gently laid her down on the bed and began to strip her uniform off.  He tucked her under the covers, took off his own clothes, and joined her.  He wrapped his arms around her in an effort to keep her warm. Beverly’s breathing became even as she drifted into a deep slumber.  Jean-Luc kissed her cheek before closing his eyes.

Beverly woke up once again to feel of hands on her and a strange voice murmuring “Beverly....Beverly....I need you”.  She writhed on the bed as if someone was making passionate love to her.  Jean-Luc woke and turned towards Beverly and gasped as he watched her face.  He reached out to touch her and she recoiled from his touch. Her eyes flew open and bright green _– Green? Beverly’s eyes are blue! –_ eyes met Jean-Luc’s. 

“I....I have to go.....”  Beverly fumbled to put her clothes on and fled the Captain’s quarters.

###

 **“Beverly...what the hell is this?”** Jean-Luc waved a PADD in her face as she was stepping onto the transporter pad clutching the candle.

**“I thought it was pretty obvious. I’m leaving Starfleet.  Energize.”**

**“Belay that order!  Beverly, you can’t just...resign.”**

**“I can, and I have.”**

Jean-Luc reached to grasp her hands and she flinched at his touch.  He spoke softly, so the engineer wouldn’t be able to hear him.   “Beverly....what about us?” 

Piercing green eyes that definitely did not belong to Beverly stared back. Beverly’s voice was cold and hollow as she replied. “There is no us.”  She pulled her hands away from his.  “Energize.”

Beverly disappeared with a swirl of blue particles, leaving Jean-Luc behind.  The look of pain and anguish on his face was enough to scare off the transport engineer and for him to call for Counsellor Troi.

Counsellor Troi and Jean-Luc shared the couch in his ready room.

“Counsellor, there’s something wrong with Beverly.  Did you sense anything?”

“I sensed turmoil. Beverly wants to stay with you, wants to be loved by you, but there’s something else...something is holding her back.” Jean-Luc scowled.

“Something?!  Counsellor, please, you have to give me more than just _something_.”

“I’m sorry, Sir. It’s as if something is....blocking her.” Jean-Luc frowned.

The door chimed interrupting his thoughts.

“Come.”  Geordi walked in holding a data PADD, Data not far behind.

“Sir, we’ve found more of that strange energy that was affecting the weather both on Caldos and on the _Enterprise._ ”

“Where?”

“You’re not going to like this, Sir.  We found traces in your quarters, Doctor Crusher’s quarters, the graveyard in Caldos, and Beverly’s grandmother’s cabin.  It –“

“Thank you, Mr LaForge.  I’m going down there. Continue to try to identify this source and eliminate it.  I think it’s time I paid a visit to Beverly.”

###

Jean-Luc paused outside the door. He heard a man’s voice saying “I love you ,Beverly.”  Just as Jean-Luc was about to burst through the door he heard Beverly’s reply.  “I love you.....NO!  I don’t love you! I love Jean-Luc!” A small smile graced his face.  “I love you too, Beverly.” He whispered as he knocked down the door.

“Beverly!”

“Go away Jean-Luc. I told you, I’m done.”

A strange man appeared through a green mist.  “Beverly loves me and we are going to be together. Always.”

“Ronin, I presume? I think you should leave.”

“I don’t think so, Jean-Luc Picard.  **I think you’re a jealous man who can’t bear the thought of losing a beautiful woman like Beverly.** ”

“You may be right.  Beverly? I love you.  I should have told you a long time ago. Please don’t leave me.”

Beverly’s eyes flashed back to blue just for a moment and she whispered “help me” before they changed back to green. 

“You see? She doesn’t want to be with you. She wants to be with me!”

“She didn’t say that.” 

Beverly’s mouth opened. “I....don’t....want.....to....be....with.....” She struggled for control.  “No. I...want....you.....Jean-Luc!” Her eyes flashed back to the blue Jean-Luc was in love with. 

“Beverly. Listen to me. You need to destroy the candle holder. It has to be you, my love.  He’s controlling you through it.”

“Don’t listen to him, Beverly. He’s just jealous that you left him for me.”

Jean-Luc held out his phaser.  Beverly gripped it in her hands and turned towards the table the candle was resting on. 

“Don’t do it Beverly.  We can be together forever! I will never leave you! Don’t you want that?”

“I.....have...Jean-Luc.”  Beverly squeezed the phaser and Ronin appeared to disappear into a green mist.  Beverly collapsed into Jean-Luc’s arms sobbing. 

“I’m sorry...I’m sorry....please forgive me....I love you....I love you.....”  Jean-Luc placed his hand under Beverly’s chin and tipped her head up.  “Beverly, my love, I love you too.”  He kissed her.  “Let’s go home.  Enterprise?  Two to beam directly to the Captain’s quarters.”

Jean-Luc’s lips were on Beverly’s as soon as they materialised in his quarters.  He backed her up into the bulkhead.

“You remember what you said about making love against the wall?”  Beverly nodded. “How about now?”

It was frenzy of fingers moving over zippers and clasps while lips were still connected trying to get off each other’s clothing.  Jean-Luc had his trousers around his knees when he couldn’t wait any longer and he hoisted Beverly up and she guided him into her.  He sighed and bent his head down and bit her on the shoulder.  Beverly moaned.  It was full of passion....but over all too soon.  Jean-Luc held Beverly in his arms as he made his final thrusts. 

“Beverly, I love you.  I should have told you a long time ago. “

Beverly captured his lips and ran her tongue over his lips until he opened his mouth and she deepened the kiss.  She broke off the kiss.  “Jean-Luc?”  “hmm?”  “I love you too.”


End file.
